Anchoring stake



April 26, 1955 5 TT 2,706,967

ANCHORING STAKE Filed Aug. 14, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

Eli/{E57 D- 1'4 A/IVE 7-7- United States Patent ANCHORING STAKE ErnestD. Iannetti, Osterburg, Pa. Application August 14, 1953, Serial No.374,307 1 Claim. (Cl. 119-121) This invention relates to an anchoringstake, and more particularly, the invention has reference to a device ofthis type which is adapted for many uses. For example, the stakeconstituting the invention is usable as a means to which a dogs chain ortie rope can be attached, for confining the animal to a particular area.Then again, the device is usable for any of various other purposes towhich a stake or hold-down means is suited, as for example, a groundanchor for guy ropes, tent ropes, etc.

One important object of the invention is to provide a generally improveddevice of the character referred to which will be so designed as to beespecially well adapted as a means to which one end of a dogs chain orexercise rope can be secured. Heretofore, anchoring devices used forthis purpose have, in many instances, not proved entirely satisfactory,due to the fact that they tend toward winding of the chain or ropethereabout. In other instances, the devices are overly complicated, andin still other instances, they are not so designed as to permit partialdisassembly there of when not in use. Partial disassembly of a device ofthis type is desirable, it may be noted, under circumstances in Which itmay be desired to cut the surrounding lawn. It is of course desirable,on such occasions, that the safety stake not project above the groundsurface, thus to permit the lawn mower to be moved directly thereover.

Still another object is to which wil other end, which pin is adapted forconnection of a flexible element thereto, the pin being shiftable out ofa vertical position in any direction, thereby to prevent entanglement ofthe flexible element With the body of the stake.

A further object of importance is to provide a construction wherein theupper end of the stake will be fitted with an aperture cap, said capbeing circumposed about the pin and having a conically sloped surfaceadapted to form an abutment for the pin, thereby to restrict the pin inits movement in a direction away from a vertical position, after the pinhas shifted to a predetermined angle from the vertical.

A further object of importance is to provide a stake as described whichwill be simply designed, inexpensive of manufacture, and yet rugged andtrouble free in operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description,the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which likereference characters designate like parts throughout the several views,and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stake formed in accordance with thepresent invention, as it appears when in use as an anchoring device fora dogs exercising chain;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in side elevation and partly inlongitudinal section of the stake per se, portions being broken away;and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view.

The reference numeral has been applied generally in the drawing todesignate the stake constituting the present invention. The stake isprovided, as particularly well shown in Figure 2, with an elongated,generally vertically disposed, cylindrical stake body 12, said stakebody being formed at its lower end with a conically tipped ground point14 adapted to facilitate penetration of the ground by the device. perend, the stake body 12 is formed with a reduced, threaded, axialextension 16, and in the end surface of said extension there is formed acentrally disposed,

At its upsurface of the end wall, 11'] this connection, is conicallysloped as at 34, oppositely to the sloping surface 32 and faces inwardlyof the cap 28 to cooperate with the adjacent socket gaged in the socket18, the edge or opening 30 1n the socket engaged position of the allbeing spaced above and out can swing freely in any direction, when pullis exerted thereagainst from said direction. For example, in Figure 1there is shown the device can be extended into the ground surface to anextent sufiicient to dispose the the ground surface, and by reason ofthis arrangement,

could be removed, for insertion of the pin 24, ball 20, and 2cap 28 Intheir assigned positions shown in Figure It is believed apparent thatthe invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or usesthereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose towhich it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limitedto the specific construction illustrated and described, since suchconstruction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles ofoperation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles,it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change inconstruction that may be permitted within the scope of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed is:

An anchoring stake comprising: a generally vertical, ground-penetratingstake body having a reduced, threaded, axial extension at its upper endformed with a hemispherical ball socket; a ball having a diametercorresponding to that of and universally movable in said socket; a pinsecured at one end to said ball and projecting upwardly beyond said endof the body, said pin being substantially smaller in diameter than saidball diameter and being adapted at its other end for connection of aflexible element thereto; and a cap of inverted cup shape threaded ontosaid axial extension and having an end wall formed with an aperturesmaller in diameter than the ball, said aperture being substantiallygreater in diameter than the pin for extension of the pin therethroughand for universal movement of the pin with the ball, said end wall ofthe cap being adapted to engage the ball to hold the same within saidsocket, said end wall of the cap having a conically sloped first surfacesurrounding the aperture, said surface facing outwardly of the cap andbeing adapted to form an abutment limiting universal movement of the pinin a direction away from a vertical position, and a second surfaceconically sloped oppositely to the first surface and facing inwardly ofthe cap to cooperate with the adjacent socket-formed end surface of theextension in defining therebetween a frustro-conical cavity confiningsubstantially the entire portion of the ball not engaged in the socket,the edge of said aperture, in the socket-engaged position of the ball,being spaced above and out of contact with the surface of the ball topermit limited up-and-down movement of the ball between said socket andsaid edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

